losing grip
by visionary wonder
Summary: "Ino!" she cried, fully sobbing now, her shoulders shaking uncontrollably, still trying to save her bestfriend's life. [oneshot]
" _INO_!" Sakura screamed desperately, her voice raw, running as fast as she could to catch her falling friend.

Sakura and Ino hit the ground with a loud thud. Sakura's knees and legs were all scraped up and scratched from hitting the ground so hard to catch her, but all she could think was how much blood covered the two. It was _everywhere_.

All she could see was red.

Red. Red. Red.

Ino's vest and outfit were drenched with her blood, and more just kept draining from her ( _pale, oh god Sakura thinks, she's so pale, please, please don't leave me Ino_ ) body. Her hands glowed green and Sakura tried desperately to stop the bleeding. "Hang on, Ino-pig, _hang on_!"

They had been attacked once again, and it had only been a week from Neji's death. Their whole campgrounds were in ruins by the white zetsus. And God, there was so many of them. For the most part, everyone had killed them off, but as Ino was fighting one of the last few left he had struck her with his trap, and Sakura barely caught her before Naruto finished the zetsu off.

Ino's breathing was starting to become shallower and shallower and she struggled to keep her eyes open.

Sakura couldn't hear anything around her; everything was a buzz in her ear. It was like she was having the worst nightmare of her life and she couldn't wake up. She knew there was movement and commotion around, but she didn't care. All she cared about was saving Ino.

"Don't Ino!" she screamed again, her voice raspy, and her eyes stinging with tears, "Don't you dare close your damn eyes, pig!" she yelled, trying to hold back the sob that was threatening to release. "You are _NOT_ allowed to leave me, you hear me Ino?! You CAN'T leave me!" Sakura exclaimed, tears flowing like waterfalls because she _knew_.

Sakura was an experience medic-nin, and she knew as soon as she got to Ino it was fatal. She knew she was bleeding too much, and her heart was slowly beginning to stop, she knew the whiteness of her skin wasn't good—

She knew.

She knew.

She knew.

 _She knew._

And yet, she was still on the ground, cradling Ino in her lap, trying desperately to save her.

Because this was her _bestfriend_. Her first friend, her rival, her other half, her worst enemy, her partner in crime, her _Ino-pig_.

The only person allowed to call her _Forehead_ and get away with it, the only person that was allowed to put her in her place, the only person who had always been there despite Sakura not always being there for her. The only person who would comfort Sakura at two o'clock at night because she was having nightmares about Sasuke. She was her _bestfriend._

"Ino!" she cried, fully sobbing now, her shoulders shaking uncontrollably, still trying—trying— _trying_ to save her bestfriend's life.

Don't give up. Don't give up. Don't give up.

"S-sakura," Ino said weakly, her bloody hand grasping onto Sakura's as she tried to stop the bleeding from her stomach, "It's okay," her lips twitched upwards, and god, she was just getting so _weak_. She had already lost so much blood, and it was still coming.

"No," Sakura sobbed, shaking her head violently, her lips quivering, "This isn't supposed to happen!" she cried in agony, ignoring the blood that continued to soak into her outfit.

Ino's breathing was coming in small amounts now, becoming slower and slower by each passing second.

"Hey forehead," she said weakly and it was so quiet Sakura had to calm her sobs and lean down to listen to her, "D-don't ever give up," she said, her eye-lids drooping again, and she began to cough up blood.

Sakura felt her heart break, she literally felt the pain of her own heart aching, and she squeezed her eyes tightly, tears streaming down her dirty cheeks.

"I love you," Ino said faintly, and her grip on Sakura's hand became loose and her body went _cold_.

Sakura let out the most agonizing, painful and raw scream, sobbing uncontrollably, "INO! NO,NO, NO— _DON'T GO_!" Sakura punched the ground beside her hard, dirt and gravel spitting up.

Sakura had experienced many losses in her short amount of time on earth, she had experienced what it was like to be toss aside and considered weak, she had experienced heartbreak, she had experienced what it meant like to lose comrades at war, and she had even experienced what betrayal meant. But nothing— _nothing_ compared to the loss she was feeling right now.

She couldn't breathe, she was struggling for air in between her uncontrollable sobs, and she literally felt like a piece of her soul was gone.

She knew this was war, and she knew there was going to be teammates who died, and she knew there's was nothing she could do about it because she was a kunoichi and she signed up for this kind of life.

But this was _Ino_.

Ino, her bestfriend, Ino, who was supposed to be opening her eyes right now and jumping up exclaiming it was all a joke, Ino, who she was supposed to go shopping with once this war was over, Ino, who was supposed to get marry and have kids and be an awesome kunoichi and just _live_.

"Sakura," a voice was heard from behind her, but Sakura just couldn't hear him. She couldn't hear or process anything going around her.

It was like the world had completely stopped.

"C'mon, Sakura, c'mon you gotta get up."

It was Naruto and he was tugging on her arm gently, and she knew she had to get up, she knew she _needed_ to get up, but her legs wouldn't move and her mouth refused to work.

She felt him pick her up under her arms and legs, and carry her bridal style, she heard him whisper into her ear he was sorry and it was gonna be okay and that he loved her so much but all she could do was shake her head and cry.

Because Sakura lost a part of _her_ the day Ino passed away.

* * *

 **disclaimer:** i own nothing.

 **notes:** yes, i know this didn't really happen but i wrote it years ago in way to deal with my own bestfriend's death. anyway, please review, tell me your thoughts, and check out my other stories!


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